1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector provided with a short-circuiting terminal fitting.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A prior art connector with a short-circuiting terminal fitting is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. This connector is constructed such that a plurality of terminal fittings 2 are mounted side by side in a connector housing 1. A short-circuiting terminal fitting 5 with a plurality of elastic contact portions 6 also is mounted in the connector housing 1 such that the elastic contact portions 6 individually can be brought into contact with the respective terminal fittings 2. The terminal fittings 2 are short-circuited by the contact of the elastic contact portions 6 before the connection with a mating connector housing (not shown). When the mating connector housing is connected, the elastic contact portions 6 are displaced upwardly to bring the terminal fittings 2 out of their short-circuited state. The connected state of the mating connector housing is detected based on whether or not the terminal fittings 2 are short-circuited.
A mount construction of the short-circuiting terminal fitting 5 in the above connector is as follows. Specifically; a fitting chamber 3 into which the short-circuiting terminal fitting 5 is inserted is formed in the connector housing 1, and a projection 4 is formed on the ceiling surface of the fitting chamber 3. On the other hand, the short-circuiting terminal fitting 5 is formed with a lock hole 7. The elastic contact portions 6 are bent in a V-shape, to extend along the insertion/withdrawal directions of the short-circuiting terminal fitting 5 into and from the fitting chamber 3 and are arranged side by side. When such a short-circuiting terminal fitting 5 is inserted into the fitting chamber 3, it can be so mounted as not to come out of the fitting chamber 3 by the engagement of the projection 4 and the lock hole 7.
Since the short-circuiting terminal fitting 5 is retained by the engagement of the projection 4 in the form of a small protuberance and the lock hole 7 in the above prior art connector, it may be loosely moved about this engaged portion along a transverse direction with respect to the insertion/withdrawal directions, that is a direction in which the elastic contact portions 6 are arranged.
In view of the above problem, it is an object of the present invention to securely mount a short-circuiting terminal fitting.